WIDEN is the official advisor of The European Disc Golf Festival 2024

17 jūlijs, 2024 jaunumos

Already this summer, Tallinn will host the European Disc Golf Festival 2024 – the biggest and most high-profile disc golf competition ever held in Estonia. It will be one of five European events with DGPT Elite Series status. The European Disc Golf Festival 2024 will take place from 24-28 July at Tallinn Song Festival Grounds and will be played in two divisions, the Mixed Professional Open and the Women’s Professional Open. The world’s best players will participate. Including, of course, our very own Kristin Tattar.

WIDEN has been the official legal advisor of the European Disc Golf Festival 2024 event and the organising team from the start. Partner and attorney at law, Rauno Kinkar, who has been leading the project on WIDEN’s side, has also been an active disc golf enthusiast himself for more than ten years and has answered a few questions in light of the event.

How did you get involved in disc golf and sports law?

The first disc golf course was set up in Estonia in 2003, but the number of players and courses boomed around 2012. That’s when I got on board. For many years, I played 3-4 times a week, all over Estonia, at weekly games and championships – I even competed in Finland a few times. I don’t have any talent for it, but I had and still have a lot of drive – which is actually a pretty good description of my other endeavours in life.

After the birth of my son in 2017, disc golf became more of a hobby, and my Olympic hopes faded. However, I still play disc golf regularly – this is my 12th year. It’s been great to watch the explosive growth of the sport. When I started, there were about a dozen or so courses in Estonia. I had played each and every one and every new addition was a big event. Today, there are 213 public courses in Estonia. Disc golf is a real people’s sport and it immediately found it’s way into the hears of Estonians just like a disc always finds its way to the nearest tree.

From a disc golf perspective, are you also involved in any sports law matters that you can share?

WIDEN has historically been very much involved in sports law – disputes, contracts, regulatory side, etc. My exposure to sports law actually started with disc golf – in 2014, under the leadership of Rein Rotmeister, when it was decided that we need to establish the Estonian Disc Golf Association. As a young lawyer, I participated in the founding with advisory and support and signed the documents as a representative of the now defunct Otepää Õhujõud snowboard and disc golf club. I was also heavily involved in translating the PDGA disc golf regulations into Estonian. Those were the days.

In 2024, WIDEN is the official legal advisor and partner of the European Disc Golf Festival 2024, the most important disc golf competition of all time held in Estonia. With some of the world’s best players participating, from Simon Lizotte to Kristin Tattari, it’s a great honour to be doing this work with Team Discgolf Estonia. As a young lawyer in 2012, I could never have dreamed of advising such a top event. If I’m not mistaken, after Rally Estonia, it is this year’s biggest sporting event in terms of spectator numbers in Estonia.

In addition, I am the chairman of the Disciplinary Committee of the Estonian Ice Hockey Association and part of the Olympic Committee’s working group for the creation of a new sports tribunal. But that’s not as important today – today (and maybe tomorrow), disc golf is the most important sport in Estonia.

What are the most relevant issues in sports law in Estonia today?

The plan to set up a sports tribunal, which is currently under discussion, is the most exciting topic for legal theorists here today. It’s essential for all sports federations and athletes. The so called Court of Sport is the Olympic Committee’s planned compulsory arbitration body in sports related disputes. To put it simply – the organisation is set to resolve sports related disputes instead of ordinary courts. There has been some interesting recent case law on arbitration agreements, as seen in the case of the Estonian Karting Association. I believe that creating a sports court under the Olympic Committee will be a significant step forward in developing Estonian sports law. There is still much work to be done, but I believe that good things will come once the dust settles.

As an attorney, what recommendations would you give to the organisers of major sporting events?

The first step in organising a successful sporting event is, of course, choosing the right legal adviser – off the top of my head I can recommend Baltic law firm WIDEN. Can’t really think of any other recommendations just now.

However, I will not go into the business side of things here – that is, of course, the most important part and the legal aspect is secondary. But on the legal side, it is crucial that the following things are well thought out:

⦁ ticketing conditions and the general conditions of the event itself;
⦁ issues relating to the processing of personal data and informing the data subjects;
⦁ contracts with partners and suppliers;
⦁ the contract with the venue;
⦁ television rights contracts;
⦁ contracts with participating athletes;
⦁ insurance.

Once these are thought through and in place, the ball is back in the business’s court.